Shloka 27

Adhyāya 40 (Book 7, Droṇa-parva): Abhimanyu’s Rapid Advance and Battlefield Disruption

Devanagari script

अभिमन्युस्तु राधेयं त्रिसप्तत्या शिलीमुखै:

Transliteration

abhimanyus tu rādheyaṃ trisaptatyā śilīmukhaiḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Abhimanyu, for his part, struck Rādheya (Karna) with seventy-one sharp arrows. The scene reveals the fierce reciprocity of battle—youthful valor meeting seasoned might—where courage is measured not by age, but by steadfast resolve amid dharma’s grim demands in war.

Word by Word

• अभिमन्युः: Abhimanyu
• अभिमन्युः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमन्यु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राधेयम्: Radheya (Karna)
• राधेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्रिसप्तत्या: with seventy-three
• त्रिसप्तत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिसप्तति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शिलीमुखैः: with arrows
• शिलीमुखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिलीमुख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Abhimanyu
• Rādheya (Karna)
• śilīmukha (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya valor and steadfastness: even in a morally complex war, a warrior is expected to act with courage, skill, and unwavering resolve, meeting force with disciplined force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Abhimanyu attacks Karṇa (Rādheya), piercing him with seventy-one arrows, marking an intense exchange between a youthful hero and a renowned veteran on the battlefield.